Karnataka Home Minister leads campaign for women safety

Bangalore: In the backdrop of growing national outcry for steps to put down crimes against women, Karnataka Government on Monday launched a campaign for women safety with Home Minister R Ashok and top police officials hitting the streets to educate people on the initiatives taken by it.

Mr Ashok, also the Deputy Chief Minister, led the campaign "your protection, our responsibility", and along with top police officials distributed booklets and pamphlets at the busy traffic junction Basaveshwara circle in Bangalore, a locality where a few schools and colleges are located.

The pamphlets, outlining the measures, including a new help line, put in place for women's safety, were distributed in city buses and private vehicles including cabs.

Mr Ashok said the government would put up sign boards on 1091, the new helpline aimed at helping women in distress, at all major places across the state.

The government had unveiled the helpline and other measures in the backdrop of growing calls for safety of women after the gang-rape and murder of a Delhi girl.

The campaign would be extended to major cities in the state shortly, he said.

Asking women to use the helpline, Bangalore City Police Commissioner Jyotiprakash Mirji said they can file complaints if they faced any trouble.

He said educational institutions have been told not to hush up any harassment incidents reported in their institutions.

Karnataka has already announced stepped up police patrol and vigil near schools, colleges and other places and plans to set up CCTV cameras in buses.

Isolated places will be watched by police in plain clothes to prevent crimes against women.